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Abstract: This paper examines the circumstances surrounding the first historical appearance of the game-theoretical concept of mixed-strategy equilibrium. Despite widespread belief that this concept was developed in the first half of the twentieth century, its origins are in fact to be found in the early eighteenth century. After reconstructing the game analysis of Montmort, Waldegrave, and Bernoulli using modern methods and terminology, I argue that their discussion of the concept of solution to a game also anticipated refinements of the concept of equilibrium that we typically associate with the second half of the twentieth century.

Cite as (APA format): Fillion, N. (2015).The Eighteenth-Century Origins of the Concept of Mixed-Strategy Equilibrium in Game Theory, in: Research in History and Philosophy of Mathematics; The CSHPM 2014 Annual Meeting in St. Catharines, Ontario, Zack & Landry (Eds.), Bikhauser, 2015, pp.63-78.